South Africa's new top cop has lashed out at his detractors within the police, who he says have falsely accused him of having affairs with junior female police officers and fathering their children.
In an interview late on Friday night, acting national police commissioner Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, who was appointed by President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday, spoke about a smear campaign against him that was aimed at preventing him from rising in the ranks. Phahlane said three "fellow officers" had "made up stories" about him fathering children with two female subordinates, including a sensational claim that one of the children was "hidden away in Cape Town".
He said they also falsely accused him of using state money to throw himself a birthday party at the police college in Pretoria West when he was head of personnel.
Phahlane, a career policeman with 30 years' experience, was the divisional commissioner responsible for forensic services when he was appointed acting national commissioner following Phiyega's suspension. He spoke of plans to reduce police killings, tackle divisive "camps" in the service, and force officers to improve their case administration to ensure they were more effective when their cases went to court.
Phahlane said he would get tough on officers who did not like to wear their bulletproof vests.
"How many of these guys die from shot wounds to the body? You have good stories of people who say: 'If it wasn't for that bulletproof jacket, I would have [died].'"
Regarding factions in the SA Police Service (SAPS), he said: "We are not supposed to have camps – our purpose is to render services to the people of this country, and that should be our focus. My current role is to remind people of what our constitutional obligations are, and rally them to focus on that."
He would ensure police "go back to basics. A pocket book is needed to record everything you do. If I arrest you, I must say I'm arresting you at this time. If followed to the letter, this can't be disputed in court," he said.
Of his career, Phahlane said: "I was there as a patrol officer; I was there as a gate guard somewhere. I was there as a charge office commander; as a detective; as an information gatherer. That is something very few can boast about. I have a serious track record in strategic management. I was the section head responsible for strategic development and headed basic training; I headed international training; I was the head of human resources."
In a pre-emptive strike, Phahlane spent much of the interview railing against his enemies within the police, naming three officers in particular. Of all the allegations he faced, the one of him fathering children with fellow officers was the worst, he said.
"The most hurtful allegation is that there are two brigadiers I was drawn into having a relationship with, one from Cape Town and the other from North West," he said. "The white one, they said I fathered a child with her, and we are hiding the child in Cape Town because our child is coloured. This [other] one, I guess our child is black – because both of us are black. It hurts because these are our colleagues [making the allegations]," he said.
The married father of four said the allegations were levelled by members of police union Popcru whom he disciplined after they cheated in an exam.
He subsequently asked Phiyega to institute an independent investigation, which cleared him. He has instituted civil claims against his accusers.
Phahlane said there was "a trend" within the police that whenever the national police commissioner job became vacant, false allegations abounded to keep qualified cops out of contention.
"There's no way you can apply for a national commissioner's post, because it is the prerogative of the president. All they wanted was to muddy my name," he said
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